By Journal Staff
The Revere High School Building Committee held a regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, November 12, via Zoom. Chair Linda Liporto from Left Field, the city’s project management firm; Brian Dakin, also from Left Field; School Supt. Dr. Diane Kelly; School Committee member Stacey Rizzo; vice-chair and former School Committee member Susan Gravellese; City Purchasing Agent Mike Piccardi; Director of City Facilities Carl Svendsen; RHS Principal Christopher Bowen; City Engineer Nick Rystrom; City Auditor Richard Viscay; Mayor Patrick Keefe; City Planner Tom Skwierawski; community member John Stamatopoulos; Ward 3 City Councillor Anthony Cogliandro; and community member Don Martelli were on hand for the session.
During last week’s meeting, members got an update on the work on the project, which broke ground earlier this year.
Dakin, the project manager, presented invoices for projects totaling 1,974,051.08 that have been performed by various contractors and explained each line item. The committee unanimously approved payment of the invoices. The committee next approved an amendment for an allowance of $1 million for further soil investigation and testing.
Representatives from general contractor Consigli said that while the $1 million allowance is an unanticipated cost, it will be able to be absorbed within the project. They noted that between value engineering and keeping other costs in line, it should not affect the bottom line budget figures. They also noted that it does not mean that the entire $1 million will be spent for the soil investigation costs.
Brian Dakin also noted that the building committee will likely take up approval of the submission of the 90 percent complete construction documents to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) at a future meeting.
“We’ve got a couple of I’s to dot and T’s to cross on the 90 percent construction document update,” he said. “We would also like to button up that entire submittal; it’s one of those big 1,000 page documents that we would like to get to you folks in advance of the meeting.”
The MSBA awarded the city of Revere a grant of $233,889,807 for the high school building project. The city council approved a total $492-million budget for the project, but the council and the school building committee have stated that they are working to cut at least $10 million from that figure as the project progresses. The four-story, 422,600-square-foot school is scheduled to be open in time for the 2028-29 school year.
Site work continues at the Wonderland site for the new Revere High School. The committee viewed aerial photos presented by Jason Flood from Consigli Construction showing the progress of the work at the site. Flood noted that the foundations of the former Wonderland Dog track grandstand are still being excavated. The former track facility basically is all but gone and only a bare outline is recognizable beneath the mounds of dirt and debris.
The committee also heard from Darren Peeler of Consigli regarding the challenges being faced to unclog the present drainage system, which had been neglected for years, ahead of the installation of the new storm drainage system.
Peeler said the drainage on the site has been a challenge over the last month as there has been more rain. He said there has been work trying to get the existing storm sewer system unclogged from the overgrowth on the site.
“We have spent a fair amount of time over the last couple of weeks trying to get on top of that issue so that we can allow the site to drain the way it was intended,” said Peeler.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly asked if that was an issue that will be rectified or an issue that could continue to cause concerns.
“I think that is already in progress of being addressed now with … the site civil consultant and we’re looking at how the new storm system is going to be integrated and connected so that we address the issue when we get the new materials,” said Peeler.
There were no members of the public who offered comments and the committee adjourned.
